CAIRO — Egypt is growing a plan to rebuild Gaza with out forcing Palestinians out of the strip in a counter to President Donald Trump’s proposal to depopulate the territory so the U.S. can take it over.
Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram newspaper mentioned the proposal requires establishing “safe areas” inside Gaza the place Palestinians can reside initially whereas Egyptian and worldwide development companies take away and rehabilitate the strip’s infrastructure.
Egyptian officers have been discussing the plan with European diplomats in addition to with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, in line with two Egyptian officers and Arab and Western diplomats. They’re additionally discussing methods to fund the reconstruction, together with a world convention on Gaza reconstruction, mentioned one of many Egyptian officers and an Arab diplomat.
The officers and diplomats spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of the proposal continues to be being negotiated.
The proposal comes after a world uproar over Trump’s name for the elimination of Gaza’s inhabitants of some 2 million Palestinians. Trump mentioned america would take over the Gaza Strip and rebuild it right into a “Riviera of the Center East,” although Palestinians wouldn’t be allowed again.
Palestinians have extensively mentioned they won’t go away their homeland, whereas Egypt, Jordan – backed by Saudi Arabia – have refused Trump’s requires them to soak up Gaza’s inhabitants. Rights teams have extensively mentioned the plan quantities to compelled expulsion, a possible conflict crime. European international locations have additionally largely denounced Trump’s plan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised the concept and says Israel is getting ready to implement it.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was in Saudi Arabia on Monday in a tour of the area, has mentioned america was as much as listening to different proposals. “If the Arab international locations have a greater plan, then that’s nice,” Rubio mentioned Thursday on the U.S. radio program “Clay and Buck Present.”
Egypt’s Al-Ahram newspaper mentioned the proposal is designed to “refute American President Trump’s logic” and counter “another visions or plans that purpose to vary the geographic and demographic construction of Gaza Strip.”
Gaza is nearing a crucial juncture with the primary part of a ceasefire as a result of run out in early March. Israel and Hamas should nonetheless negotiate a second part meant to deliver a launch of all remaining hostages held by the militants, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a long-term halt to the conflict.
Any reconstruction plan can be unattainable to implement with out a deal on the second part, together with an settlement on who will govern Gaza in the long run. Israel calls for the elimination of Hamas as a political or army power within the territory, and worldwide donors are unlikely to contribute to any rebuilding if Hamas is in cost.
Central in Egypt’s proposal is the institution of a Palestinian administration that’s not aligned with both Hamas or the Palestinian Authority to run the strip and oversee the reconstruction efforts, in line with the 2 Egyptian officers concerned within the efforts.
It additionally requires a Palestinian police power primarily made up of former Palestinian Authority policemen who remained in Gaza after Hamas took over the enclave in 2007, with reinforcement from Egyptian- and Western-trained forces.
Requested about the potential for deploying an Arab power in Gaza one Egyptian official and the Arab diplomat mentioned Arab international locations would solely agree if there have been a “clear path” for the institution of an unbiased Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected any Palestinian state in addition to any function for Hamas or the Western-backed Palestinian Authority in governing Gaza, although he has not put ahead any clear different.
Hamas has mentioned it’s keen to surrender energy in Gaza. Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou informed The Related Press on Sunday that the group has accepted both a Palestinian unity authorities with out Hamas’ participation or a committee of technocrats to run the territory. The Palestinian Authority, which governs pockets of the West Financial institution, has to this point opposed any plans for Gaza that exclude it.
The Western diplomat mentioned France and Germany have backed the concept of Arab international locations growing a counterproposal to Trump’s plan, and that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi mentioned his authorities’s efforts with the French president in a cellphone name earlier this month.
Egyptian Overseas Minister Badr Abdelatty additionally briefed the German international minister and different EU officers on the sidelines of final week’s Munich safety convention, one of many Egyptian officers mentioned.
Officers from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan will talk about Egypt’s proposal at a gathering in Riyadh this week, earlier than introducing it to the Arab summit later this month, in line with the 2 Egyptian officers and the Arab diplomat.
Isarel’s 16-month marketing campaign in Gaza, triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 assault, devastated the territory. Round 1 / 4 million housing items have been destroyed or broken, in line with U.N. estimates. Greater than 90% of the roads and greater than 80% of well being amenities have been broken or destroyed. Harm to infrastructure has been estimated at some $30 billion, together with an estimated $16 billion in broken to housing.
Egypt’s plan requires a three-phase reconstruction course of that may take as much as 5 years with out eradicating Palestinians from Gaza, the Egyptian officers mentioned.
It designates three “protected zones” inside Gaza to relocate Palestinians throughout an preliminary six-month “early restoration interval.” The zones can be outfitted with cell homes and shelters, with humanitarian support streaming in.
Greater than two dozen Egyptian and worldwide companies would participate in eradicating the rubble and rebuilding the strip’s infrastructure. The reconstruction would offer tens of hundreds of jobs to Gaza’s inhabitants, the officers mentioned.
